Last week was hell. Not literally of course, it was just incredibly difficult.

Last week was devastating. Literally. It was the hardest thing I’ve had to face in about as long as I can remember.

Last week I was told that I would be ‘transitioning in ministry’.

It’s not the loss of income that is devastating, nor is it the fact that I no longer have a ‘job’. What hurts the most is that I’ve been part of a community for the past 3 years and all of a sudden I’m no longer able to worship together with these folk. What hurts is that the deep relationships and friendships we have with the congregation, and specifically the youth, has been changed. My wife is equally hurt. We haven’t felt hurt in a long time, but this hurts. It aches. It’s not something that can be soothed, it must be mourned.

I won’t get into what led to this transition and I have no desire to point fingers as I’m not bitter. Our love for ACC is deep and real and that hasn’t changed.

Yesterday we sat through a service knowing what most of the congregation did not yet know, that we would be leaving. It was an emotionally draining service. The love that we experienced after the service had ended was incredible. I couldn’t explain it to you because it’s a feeling that can’t be truly expressed in words. For the past week we’ve been getting emails and phone calls that have been deeply rooted in compassion and love. Deeply rooted in what it means to be the Church. Thanks to all of those folk.

We’re not 100% where the road leads from here but we have some ideas. I’ve been accepted into Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto where I’ll be working towards my M. Div over the coming years. This likely means we’ll be moving downtown at some point this spring/summer.

Please keep us in your prayers as we try and discern what we should do.

I saw an episode of Scrubs recently. Great show. It was the “My First Half-Acre” episode where JD purchases a plot of land for Mandy Moore and himself.

At one point in the show, Dr. Perry Cox, while trying to evade an awkward conversation, stood before the elevator and prays, “elevator please.” The elevator opens and as he backs into it Dr. Cox proclaims, “He’s got my back. Even if I don’t really believe in Him.”

To paraphrase Bonhoeffer, peace has nothing to do with comfort. Many times peace means that violence will come against you because it involves one, not only siding with the oppressed, but also “putting a spoke in the wheel of the oppressor.”

My question to you is this: What are the injustices that you see evident in our culture? I’m speaking particularly about the North American (read: Canada; read: Toronto). culture. Where do you see injustice? Where does injustice try and invade our lives?

As a follow-up question: What the hell are we doing about it? Ought the Church do something? Are we not called to speak prophetically to injustice?

"...My birth pangs are at hand. Bear with me, my brothers. Do not hinder me from living: do not wish for my death...Allow me to receive the pure light; when I arrive there I shall be a real man." - S. Ignatius on his way to his martyrdom in Rome.